Torque Tutorial Guide

#1 1. Introduction 4
1.1. Conventions Used In This Tutorial 4
1.1.1 Bullet Points 4
1.1.2 Focusing Attention In An Image 5
1.1.3 Special Notes 5
1.1.4 Instructions And Comments 5
2. Starting up 6
2.1 Essential Steps 6
2.2 Recommended Steps 6
2.3 What Did I Just Download? 6
3. The Bare Essentials 7
3.1 Understanding TorqueDemo.exe 7
3.1.1 What is TorqueDemo.exe? 7
3.1.2 Torque Command Line Arguments 8
3.1.3 Loading Mods 10
3.1.4 Loading The Show Tool 11
4. Mission Editor Basics 12
4.1 Where To Start 12
4.2 Moving Objects Around In The Mission Editor 14
4.2.1 Position 14
4.2.2 Rotation 15
4.2.3 Scale 16
4.2.4 Shape 16
4.3 Moving Objects With The Mouse 17
4.4 Moving Around The World 17
5. The Mission Editor In Detail 18
5.1 Accessing The Tools 19
5.2 World Editor 20
5.3 World Editor Inspector 20
5.4 World Editor Creator 21
5.4.1 Choosing A Object To Add 21
5.4.2 Adding The Object 23
5.4.3 Locating A Newly Placed Object 25
5.5 Mission Area Editor 26
5.5.1 Quickly Moving Around The Map 27
5.5.2 Editing The Mission Area 29
5.5.3 Centering The Mission Area 30
5.5.4 Mirroring 31
5.6 General Information On Terrain Editor Tools 33
5.6.1 Terrain Editing Actions 34
5.6.2 Terrain Editing Brushes 35
5.7 Terrain Editor 37
5.7.1 Changing A Selection 38
5.7.2 Adding Dirt 43
5.7.3 Excavate 44
5.7.4 Adjust Height 45
5.7.5 Flattening An Area 47
5.7.6 Smoothening Areas 49
5.7.7 Setting Height 51
5.7.8 Creating And Removing Empty Space 53
5.7.9 Painting Materials 56
5.8 Terrain Terraform Editor 58
5.8.1 General Information About The Terrain Terraform Editor 59
5.8.1 What Are Operations? 60
5.8.2 Adding An Operation 60
5.8.3 Removing An Operation 62
5.8.4 Modifying An Operation 63
5.9 Terrain Texture Editor 64
5.9.1 Adding A Material 64
5.9.2 Deleting A Material 65
5.9.3 What Are Placement Operations? 66
5.9.5 Adding A Placement Operation 67
5.9.6 Removing A Placement Operation 68
5.10 Terrain Texture Painter 68
5.10.2 What Is A Texture Palette? 69
5.10.3 Adding A Texture To The Palette 70
5.10.4 Changing A Texture In The Palette 72

#2 6. Using The GUI editor 73
6.1 Getting Started 73
6.2 Areas Of The GUI Editor 73
6.3 GUI Editor's Controls 75
6.4 Changing The Back Ground 76
6.5 Adding A New Element 79
6.6 Adding Some Basic Functionality 82
6.6.1 How Torque Manages GUIs 82
6.6.2 Testing A GUI 82
6.6.3 Making GUIs Load Persistently 83
6.7 Creating A New GUI 86
7. The Show Tool 87
7.1 What Is The Show Tool? 87
7.2 Running The Show Tool 87
7.3 Loading Shapes 88
7.4 Loading Sequences 90
7.5 Threads 91
7.5.1 Playing And Stopping Animations 93
7.5.2 Shuttling Through An Animation Sequence 94
7.5.3 Changing How A Sequence Transitions 97
7.5.4 Adding And Removing Threads 100
7.5.5 Changing The Animation Speed 101
7.6 Detail Control 102
8. Scripting Basics 103

#3 > 5.7.6 Smoothening Areas 51

Is this section going to involve finding crashed alien spaceships? (Sorry, couldn't resist... :)

Seriously, this looks great, and covers a lot of stuff I'm not totally familiar with. Thanks a bunch for putting it together!

#4 Devon,

I think perhaps we should talk some time. I've been working on the Lite edition (free) of a guide which is just about ready for release. It covers much of the same area as your are hitting. I was kind of surprised when I saw your post, because your site (www.gug.ca/members/tourniquet) has been out of action for a while. I just figured that you'd stopped working on docs. Hmmm.. anyway, I'll be posting a draft soon. I'll update this thread at that time. I need to discuss this with the Staff also as I'm interested in creating a full edition of my guide (i.e. not free), but with this resumed interest in creating documenation, I may have to change my goals or plan a bit.

Anyways, just a heads up.

-Ed M.

#5 Devon

Its 12 of July. I have a question..
When are you planning to relelase the doc ?

:)

Gabor

#6 Actually it won't be up to me when the release of the doc will be but I'm up to chapter 7 which should take roughly about 1-2 hours to write up. Then i'll be posting it off to GG for review.

#7 Devon - I have an older copy of your stuff on my desk. When will your new stuff arrive? I'll bug Jeff to get me a copy so I can read over it!

#8 Well there goes my saturday haha 2 hours, it taken 4-5 hours. Oh well. But chapter seven and all aspects of the show tool are done. WOOT. That thread control stuff was a cow to get through though.
Ben : See that copy on your desk, multiply it by 2 and that what the next revision will be like. So far its a whooping 7 meg in PDF format and over 100 pages. Also updated the chapter listing for a more accurate update

#9 Awesome! I look forward to seeing my desk overrun ;)

#10 Devon
You arent planning to make a developing schedule of this long awaited doc for the wievers pleasure ?? ? :)

I mean "i finished the 5th chapter completely, and at the monday starting the next one..." or something similar ? Im REALLY courious when its will to come.

Gabor

Ok..i'll tell ya the truth. i cant wait :)))))

#11 Is there a place where i can get the first 5 chaters Gabor Forrai????????

#12 Gabor its finish but i've finised it. As for when it will be released is no longer my call

#13 Devon, keep up the good work...

Ryan, you annoy me for some reason...

#14 Devon... you are going to added to my will :) No, seriously...

Your selfless dedication to the cause is worth a percentage of whatever I wind up making with the Torque engine.

--Mike

#15 Ryan

Thats was only an example.



Devon

Sounds good that you are finished :)
Ok, GG is checking the stuff now. But dont you know any infos about when ?
I hope not "when its done".

Any of yours GG guys ?

#16 Sorry...

When it's done!

:)

#17 Cant wait to take a peek at it.....:D

#18 I'm still not making any guanrantees, I might be asked to fix or add more stuff. Anyway I think I'm going to start on an in game real time movie maker for Torque, once that is done I can make an in game tute and make torque play it back ;)

#19 Devon, that would be awesome. If you need a hand, give me a shout. I'd love to be involved in that. :)

#20 Devon that would be really awesome if you post it as a resource. Need lots of cutscenes in my game.